ORANGE BEACH, Ala. — Efforts are being made to upgrade the telecommunications systems for the police department in Orange Beach.

A resolution authorizing Mayor Tony Kennon to make application to the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, Law Enforcement/Traffic Safety Division for a grant to help pay for the new systems were recently presented.

According to Police Chief William V. Wilkins, this has been a need for several years.

“This is for phone service inside the jail. It is the first time we have looked at this in several years,” Wilkins said. “The company we chose was based on price and payback to us. We’ll make a percentage of what is collected. Also they have agreed to provide, as part of the contract, taping service for all incoming and outgoing calls from the communications center.”

Wilkins said the service is valuable, because the old dictaphone system had run its course and had become inoperable.

“Just a service call to fix our old system was $700 just for them to come out, look at it, and tell us what the problem was.  The new technology will handle this problem for us at no additional cost for the first year, and then we will simply be paying a yearly maintenance fee.”

The Police Department chose the company that offered the lowest reoccurring maintenance fee.

“It is the same system used in Fairhope and Daphne and they were highly complimentary when asked about it,” Wilkins said.